Mississippi

Mississippi State baseball isn’t elite team and what else we learned in LSU series sweep

Published

12 months ago

March 30, 2025

Mississippi State baseball isn’t elite team and what else we learned in LSU series sweep

Mississippi State baseball has lost a third straight SEC series to begin the 2025 season.

The Bulldogs (16-12, 1-8 SEC) were swept at No. 6 LSU (26-3, 7-2) this weekend. They lost 8-6 on Thursday, 2-1 on Friday and 17-8 on Saturday. It is tied for the worst start to SEC play in coach Chris Lemonis’ seven seasons.

Here’s what we learned about MSU from the series.

Mississippi State baseball is not an elite SEC team

The Bulldogs have had three tests against top SEC teams and failed all of them. They were swept at home by No. 7 Texas, lost two of three games at No. 9 Oklahoma and now were swept again.

The expectation is for Mississippi State to compete at that level, but it hasn’t since the 2021 national championship. The Bulldogs are 1-11 in Quad 1 games this season with only three wins against opponents with a .500 or better record as of Sunday.

The schedule lightens up next weekend with unranked South Carolina (17-11, 1-7) visiting Dudy Noble Field. That will be a test of how low Mississippi State is in the SEC.

Pico Kohn can’t solve all of Mississippi State’s problems

Pico Kohn has been the bright spot for Mississippi State. He gives MSU a chance to win each game he pitches, but isn’t getting enough help.

The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week was sharp again on Friday, pitching five innings with two earned runs, eight strikeouts, five hits and no walks. His 2.66 ERA ranks sixth in the SEC among qualifying pitchers, and he’s tied for the conference lead with 40.2 innings pitched.

Mississippi State is 12th in the SEC in runs scored, ninth in runs allowed and 14th in fielding percentage. Mississippi State doesn’t have a solid second starting pitcher.

On Thursday, MSU’s bullpen blew a 6-2 lead. MSU struck out 18 times in Friday’s game. On Saturday, starting pitcher Karson Ligon couldn’t make it out of the first inning as the Bulldogs fell behind 8-0.

Mississippi State is 4-10 in games decided by three runs or less.

Hunter Hines has improved since benching

Starting first baseman Hunter Hines was benched for two games of the Astros Foundation College Classic one month ago because of his cold bat. Since then, he’s been significantly better.

He’s on a team-best seven-game hitting streak. Hines batted 4-for-8 with five walks, two home runs, two RBIs and four runs against LSU. He’s now one home run away from tying Will Clark for the second most career home runs in program history.

Hines’ batting average has risen from .211 on March 2 to .306 after Saturday.

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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Mississippi

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

Published

5 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) — Multiple people were killed in a crash between a train and a van on Friday afternoon in Mississippi.

Stone County Sheriff Todd Stewart said the crash happened around 1 p.m. on Pump Branch Road. First responders had to cut through the woods to get to the wreckage.

There were six people in the van at the time of the crash, Stewart said. Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry confirmed five of them died in the crash.

Multiple people are dead after a crash between a train and a van in Mississippi. (WLOX)

The sixth person was airlifted to New Orleans.

The five victims were identified as 26-year-old Ryan C. Peterson, who was a corrections officer with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, 23-year-old Demarcus Perkins, 45-year-old Kristina Carver, and Carver’s two daughters, 22-year-old Emley Chamblee and 20-year-old Sarabeth Chamblee.

Nearby resident Pam Olson has been sounding the alarm on the Pump Branch Road railroad crossing for some time. She was tending to her garden with her husband when the sound of screeching brakes made them jolt.

“We heard it,” explained Olson. “My husband and I were in the yard working on our flowerbeds. I told my husband a train hit another vehicle. My husband ran up there and said, ‘Pam, it’s bad.’”

A recent report from the Stone County Enterprise outlines another wreck in the same spot, which resulted in the driver of a pickup truck being airlifted. Stewart also pointed out a fatal train accident in Stone County happened at the location in 2023, claiming the life of a Wiggins woman.

“This’d be the second incident in the last four to five weeks involving fatalities and the third incident in the last year, all involving fatalities,” explained Stewart. “To date, we’ve lost seven folks within the last year.”

The crossing does not have crossing arms or lights. Stone County District 1 Supervisor Jimmy Springs said he previously reached out to Mississippi Department of Transportation railroad engineers and was told crossing arms are on the way for two crossings, including the one at Pump Branch Road. However, it could take a year for them to be installed.

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Mississippi

CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Published

17 hours ago

March 27, 2026

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CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The CLASH Endurance triathlon officially started along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.

“I placed first, so I’m pretty stoked about that,” Reilly said.

Winning a triathlon means beating competitors from across the country and around the world in swimming, biking and running.

“Definitely a lot of hours goes into the sport, but the actual race was tough. It was like full gas, swim, bike, and run, so over an hour. And I’m excited to be able to be done and take home the win,” Reilly said.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.(WLOX)

Athletes praise Gulf Coast hospitality

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.

“I have had such a great time down here in the south. It’s, like, the nicest people I’ve ever met. The culture is amazing. The music’s great. The food’s great. Honestly, nothing but positive for me. It’s awesome,” said Annette Zavala of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

“I really like this course. It was really cool to see them swim in the marina. The course was very accessible to view, which I really appreciated,” said Sophia Najera of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the... — It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.(WLOX)

More than 28 countries and all 50 states are represented, bringing a boost to the coastal economy.

“All of the athletes who are visiting coastal Mississippi, they’re staying in the hotels, they’re visiting the restaurants, they’re shopping, and they’re not just staying for a night or two. Some of them are staying and playing,” said Blair Lahaye, CLASH Endurance vice president of communications.

Athletes say it’s the support from the crowd and each other that pushes them across the finish line.

“You might have the worst mindset out there, but just hearing someone believe in you, like, that’s sometimes all you need to move forward,” Zavala said.

“I could not have gone through half the races I did, half the trainings I did, without the support of my teammates. We’re really excited to come race tomorrow, and we were super glad to get to be able to cheer on our teammates today,” Najera said.

Athletes say it’s the support from the crowd and each other that pushes them across the finish... — Athletes say it’s the support from the crowd and each other that pushes them across the finish line.(WLOX)

More races are scheduled this weekend.

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What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss on today? Time, TV schedule to watch college baseball game

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss on today? Time, TV schedule to watch college baseball game

Mississippi State baseball, coming off a sweep of Vanderbilt, travels to Ole Miss for a three-game series, starting on March 27.

The Bulldogs (21-4, 4-2 SEC) swept Vandy last weekend in Starkville to move above .500 in league play after two weeks.

Ole Miss (19-7, 3-3) took two of three games from Kentucky last weekend in Oxford.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss will also play on April 28 in Pearl.

Here’s how you can watch Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss:

Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss on March 27 will be televised via streaming on SEC Network+, which is housed on the ESPN app and can be accessed via a SEC Network subscription. If you are subscribed to SEC Network, you can access SEC Network+ online.